Chapter 8 Variety Show
“It's discontinued. you can't buy it anymore.”
Jiang You was a little disappointed, but the next second, she remembered that she hadn't come here for tea. She quickly put down her cup and turned to take a small box from her bag.
“Boss, do you know? The video filmed today went exceptionally well. It went viral online and I received many advertising offers. This is all thanks to you for letting me film the guesthouse. This is a small token of my gratitude. I hope you'll accept it. I wanted to come find you this afternoon, but your staff said you weren't here.”
“No need. You became famous on your own merit; it has nothing to do with me. Besides, it also made my guesthouse famous, so I should be the one giving you a thank-you gift.” Tang Yao refused the small gift box Jiang You offered.
“Even if I hadn't filmed it, such a beautiful guesthouse would definitely have become popular. And after filming videos for so many years, this is the first time I've achieved such a huge level of popularity. Boss, you're my lucky star! You must accept this thank-you gift, otherwise I'll feel embarrassed filming here.” Jiang You said.
"Okay, then I'll accept it." Seeing the other party's insistence, Tang Yao could only take the gift box, pondering to reciprocate with something of equal value when Jiang You left.
At Jiang You's urging, Tang Yao opened the box. Inside was a pair of beautiful diamond earrings. The box had a high-end brand logo on it and it looked expensive.
"They're very pretty. Thank you," Tang Yao said truthfully under Jiang You's expectant gaze.
Jiang You immediately beamed.
Tang Yao felt that Jiang You was quite different from other influencers. Others, after making videos that boosted the popularity of their guesthouse, would probably ask her for advertising fees. But Jiang You, she happily sent a thank-you gift.
Tang Yao thought about it and couldn't help but grin.
Indeed, there were many lovely people in the world.
The two sat on the rooftop, under the clear night sky, chatting for a long time.
Tang Yao learned that Jiang You's family was actually quite well-off. Her parents had always hoped she would return to inherit the family business, but she disliked the arranged life and found traveling all over the country quite interesting.
Even though her account wasn't very popular, it hadn't dampened her enthusiasm.
Tang Yao thought this was great. She had goals and motivation and her life was fulfilling and free.
As the moon rose above the treetops, Jiang You felt sleepy. Finally, she said goodbye to Tang Yao and left.
The next morning, before the guesthouse door was even opened, there was a knock.
Xiao Yue was tending to the garden in the yard when she heard the knock and went to open the door.
A face with dark circles under his eyes and a stubble of beard appeared outside.
It was Huang Yong, who had been in the capital the day before. He had taken an overnight flight, hadn't even had breakfast, and then traveled by public transport all the way here.
The door opened, revealing a riot of flowers and their fragrance filling the air. Huang Yong felt his fatigue vanish instantly.
"Would you like to stay or have a meal?" Xiao Yue asked.
Huang Yong looked around, extremely satisfied with the place, but decided to take a closer look.
"Stay. Can you prepare a room with a view of the garden for me?" Huang Yong asked.
"Of course, please come in," Xiao Yue smiled slightly.
Huang Yong's gaze fell on Xiao Yue's face. Her face was cool and ethereal, a rare type in the entertainment industry. If she entered the industry, she might become a huge star.
Upon entering the guesthouse, Huang Yong felt his drowsy head clear up. His nose filled with the fragrance of flowers and plants.
His exhaustion and anxiety seemed to be healed here.
The lush greenery all around was very relaxing.
Huang Yong felt he had found his ideal place.
The rest was just checking out the rooms and discussing borrowing the space with the owner.
Xiao Yue led him to a table and chairs in the garden where people could rest before going to call Tang Yao.
The tables and chairs were all made of solid wood. It had some simple carvings and the natural color of the wood was preserved.
Huang Yong subconsciously felt that the tables and chairs looked somewhat familiar, but didn't think much of it.
Soon, Tang Yao arrived with Xiao Yue. Huang Yong's eyes lit up again.
He hadn't expected the owner and staff of a guesthouse to be so good-looking. If they appeared on a variety show, wouldn't that boost the ratings?
Tang Yao helped Huang Yong register. Huang Yong immediately paid for two days, wanting to take the opportunity to thoroughly inspect the place.
Breakfast was free. Since Huang Yong hadn't eaten anything on his way there, he went straight to the glass-enclosed restaurant.
Xiao Li had made noodles today. Snow-white and curly noodles were topped with vibrant green vegetables.
It looked incredibly appetizing. Huang Yong's weak stomach was already protesting.
He eagerly picked up a noodle and put it in his mouth.
The noodles were smooth and easy to eat, with a savory and delicious flavor. The bok choy retained its fresh, sweet, and crisp texture.
Even a simple bowl of noodles felt like a five-star hotel to Huang Yong.
Before he knew it, he had finished a large bowl, and, still wanting more, he ordered another.
Just as he was finishing his second bowl, Jiang You leisurely strolled into the room.
Huang Yong recognized her as the blogger who had filmed the video.
After breakfast, Huang Yong went back to his room for a nap.
He was very satisfied with the room's facilities and cleanliness.
Two days of inspection had made Huang Yong completely fall in love with this place, and he had completely forgotten the pressure from his superiors.
His experience over the past two days had truly allowed him to escape the hustle and bustle and pressure of the city.
His mind was entirely focused on the delicious food and beautiful scenery.
When the two days were up, Huang Yong went to find Tang Yao to discuss renting the venue.
Tang Yao was embroidering. She was wearing a flowing light blue dress and her hair tied up with a silver hairpin. When Huang Yong approached, he felt she almost blended into the scenery behind her, breathtakingly beautiful.
He subconsciously slowed his pace, took a photo from a distance, and thought the composition and background were perfect for a variety show cover.
“Mr. Huang, hello, is there something you need?” Tang Yao noticed him and turned to look at Huang Yong.
“It’s like this, boss.” Huang Yong snapped out of his reverie, remembering his purpose, “I’m Huang Yong, the director of a variety show called ‘Escape from the City’ on Banana TV. Our show focuses on leaving the city, finding a secluded paradise, and letting celebrities experience a different way of life. I saw your place online and it looks beautiful, so I’d like to rent it for a while for filming. Don’t worry, the payment will be substantial.”
“A variety show?” Tang Yao frowned slightly.
“Yes, you can search for it online. You’ll find it.” Huang Yong pulled out his business card and handed it to Tang Yao.
"The locations we found last season didn't meet the expectations of netizens, so the response wasn't very good." Huang Yong even showed Tang Yao the program and comments.
"Sorry, I don't really want to..."
Before she could finish speaking, Tang Yao saw one of the actors on the screen.
It was a veteran actor whose career had faded.
Tang Yao wasn't a fan of celebrities, but Mother Tang liked him a lot and had once told Tang Yao that she would love it if this veteran actor could stay at their guesthouse for a night.
"Director Huang, is this a regular on the variety show?" Tang Yao asked, pointing to the veteran actor.
"Yes, Mr. Shen is a regular on the variety show. Is the owner a fan of Mr. Shen?" Huang Yong, who had thought he would be rejected, suddenly saw hope again. "Mr. Shen is very approachable."
"My mom liked him a lot," Tang Yao said.
Seeing the veteran actor, Tang Yao's initially firm refusal began to waver.
"Let me think about it."
"Okay, take your time. Call me when you've made up your mind."
Huang Yong left his business card and then left the guesthouse.
A few days later, Jiang You was also leaving. Her family called to say her mom wasn't feeling well and asked her to come home to visit her.
Before leaving, Tang Yao gave her a piece of mutton-fat jade amulet and a small packet of herbal tea that Jiang You liked very much.
Although Jiang You didn't know much about jade, she could tell that the jade was of high quality and must be very expensive.
"This is too precious," Jiang You pushed the jade back, only taking the herbal tea. "The tea leaves are fine."
"The price doesn't matter. What matters is the sentiment. I accepted your thank-you gift when you gave me one. If you don't accept it, should I return this earring to you?"
In the end, Jiang You could only accept the jade.
When the time to part truly came, Jiang You was particularly reluctant to leave and gave Tang Yao a gentle hug.
Tang Yao patted her on the back: "Come visit again when you have time."
Jiang You nodded vigorously before turning and left.
After Jiang You left, Tang Yao also returned Huang Yong's call.
Far away in the capital, Huang Yong thought the project was over, but unexpectedly received a call. He immediately stood up from his office and quickly instructed his assistant to print out a contract. He wanted to personally take the contract to Wanhua Town again.
The contract offered very generous terms, as if afraid Tang Yao might change her mind.
Tang Yao's previous requests over the phone were all written in the contract: the program must feature the veteran actor, she would still not appear on screen, nothing inside or outside the guesthouse could be damaged, and filming could only be done in the small building, etc.
Tang Yao carefully reviewed the contract. Finding no problems, she signed her name.
The program wouldn't start filming for another two weeks, so Huang Yong went back to prepare. He would bring his team to set up the location three days before filming.
Soon, information about the upcoming second season of the variety show "Escape from the City" was posted on Weibo. This time, it would be a live broadcast instead of a pre-recorded show, given the recent popularity of live-streamed variety shows.
The list of a few regular guests was announced, along with one mystery guest who didn't appear on screen.
However, because there were no big-name celebrities, it didn't attract much attention.
At that moment, in a dimly lit room in the capital, the phone rang abruptly.
A hand with distinct knuckles picked up the phone from the bedside table and answered it.
"Lu Bei, I've got you a variety show, 'Escape from the City.' You can take this opportunity to relax. Being cooped up at home all day will eventually make you sick," the person on the other end of the line said.
"I don't want to go," Lu Bei's voice was hoarse from just waking up.
"You haven't shown up for a long time. Fans have practically flooded the comment section. I had asked the variety show director. This time, the place seems like a good place to relax. Maybe staying there for a few days will improve your mood. Why don't you try recording one episode? If it doesn't work out, come back. It'll be a way to give your fans some closure."
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